Above: Senior Casey Arsenault passing the ball with support from sophomore teammate Caitlyn Leonard. All photos taken by Meagan Sullivan. This fall, the Malden High School girls field hockey team is work-ing hard to grow as a team, on and off the field. A primary goal for senior captain Robyn Santo is to “improve endurance levels and offensive skills.” Along with that, a personal goal the whole team can agree on is maintaining the close relationship with all of the players and motivating each other to get better. The girls have a very close relationship, and that helps them push each other on the field. The MHS field hockey team won their game against Salem with a 5-0 victory. Goals were scored by seniors Casey Arsenault, Haley Hoffman and captain Jillian Powers, in addition to juniors Megan Gilligan vital role in preventing the Witches from scoring against them. The team has mostly agreed that they have improved greatly since the start of the season. The beginning was said to be difficult because it was hard to get everyone on the same page and the communication was weak; however, they have been working on it and ever since they have been scoring and getting stronger. The girls enjoy experiencing the “face-paced action,” and their coach, Kimberly Barber, enjoys assisting the girls and watching them grow just as much. Coach Barber and her team bonds greatly and being in that fun and comfortable environment has proved to improve their focus in the game. Their record is not where they want it to be, although Santo and Powers agree that they are both extremely proud of their team, and are honored to be the captain of a team of “such well-rounded, talented girls.” In a recent game, the girls unfortunately lost 5-1 to Tewksbury, though they believe that they are progressively growing as a team and their skill is getting notably better. As Coach Barber tells the players, “baby steps, keep with it, and never give up.” Both Santo and Barber believe that the team’s persistence and special bond sets them apart from other teams. The girls have learned, through each other, to never quit and to always use their aggression on the field in a positive way. Ever since their game against Melrose, which they lost but scored their first goal of the season, the girls’ overall moods have brightened and the game was considered the turning point of their season. The game motivated them to work hard, which lead to their first win against Salem. As a team, the field hockey girls will not give up until they are where they want to be. Even though they do not qualify for states with their record, they continue to work hard and aspire to win more games this season. As Santo states, they are “inspired by their desire to win.” The coaches and teammates motivate each other as a whole to grow little by little, together.
